DWTS The Finals

It is the finals.  Is it just me, or did this season go by way too fast?  And what a weird season it has been.  Usually the drama goes on behind the scenes, but this year it seems to be taking place...LIVE!  The elimination if Audrinna was a surprise to us all, but the Brandy shocker of last week had some folks reeling.  Tonight is the night of the redemption dances.  This is where the couple gets to redeem themselves from that disaster they had.  They also each get tutored by one of the judges.  This to me is really fun.  Kyle and Lacey are graced with head judge Len Goodman.  He teaches Kyle about posture and holds.  Amazing the difference it makes.

Kyle and Lacey's "redemption" dance is the Foxtrot.  Lacey decides to take a more traditional approach.  This foxtrot is the dance of finalists for sure!  I really was impressed with them. Len said,  "I tried to help you, I'm not a miracle worker.  People spend a lifetime trying to master it, and you came out much better than the first time.  You went from Messy Massey to Marvelous Massey!"


"Oh look at you all slick sharp and slicksky(?)  I am not real sure what he said there.  I need to turn on the captions!  He continued telling Kyle that his technique has improved enormously.  Carrie Ann noted the great improvement on his footwork.  However, she felt he was almost too focused on the footwork and as a result we lost part of his charisma and charms.  She got booed.  I thought he did good.

Scores:

Carrie Ann:  9
Len: 9
Bruno: 9
Total: 27

Bristol and Mark's redemption dance is The Jive.  Definitely a must!  If you need a memory boost, it was the TV themed week, and they donned gorilla suits as they danced to The MONKEES!    Bruno teaches Bristol.  What a perfect person to teach Bristol how to let go and have fun. He tries really hard to get Bristol to be super silly and shake it.  Nope.  I would.  Bruno, pick me!  Their jive is miles and worlds away from that one a few weeks ago.  She has improved.  And I could swear that for one fleeting moment, she was having fun!!  Too bad the song totally sucked.  (Don't ask, I don't remember.)

Bruno said,  "Bristol my darling, I told you you didn't need a gorilla suit.  You went out there and had fun and we enjoyed it!"  Carrie Ann has this to say, "You never cease to amaze me!"  She went on to tell her that she came out more vibrant than ever before. And Len told her she went from a gorilla to a thriller!  "Vast improvement.  Well done."

Scores
CA: 9
Len: 9
Bruno: 9
Total: 27

Jennifer and Derek's dance is the Paso Doble.  When she danced it the first time she lost control about half way through.  So who better to coach her than Carrie Ann!?  She wants Jen to be more open and fluid in her movement for this dance.  She also told her that because she is tiny she needed to make her arm movements much bigger.  And wow!  She delivered.  This dance was awesome.  Too bad the lighting sucked.  I mean it was all dark and red with a single spot following them.  I get it for dramatic purposes, but that should have stopped after the first measure or two. 

Carrie Ann said that was the meaning of redemption!  "I am so proud of you!  I saw everything worked on!" She exclaimed.  Len told her it was a lovely mix of expression and aggression.Then he was so cute when he said, "I don't normally do this...but..." and stood up and applauded Jennifer and Derek.  "Fantastic job!"  Now that is saying something!  Bruno said "It was an evening of sultry seville. A flaminko dancer and madator igniting the flames of passion.  I don't want this night to ever end!"

Tom to Bruno, "I know you mean it as a compliment, but you end up frightening the children."

Scores
Carrie Ann: 10
Len: 10
Bruno: 10 I wish I had an 11!
Total: 30

Next are the freestyle dances.  They get to pick their own music and do anything they want to do.  This truly is the dance to make or break a person.  Kyle chose, "Tootsie Roll" for his song.  And Lacey wants to know if he can do the "coffee grind."  I guess I am daft or too white because I had no idea what she was talking about.  She demonstrated by getting down on the floor and planting one hand down and running in a circle around it.  OH!  Now I know what that is.  I just didn't know what it was called. Their dance is fun, lively, full of funky and tricky moves.  At one point Kyle flips Lacey over.  He was very nervous about it.  Afraid he would hurt her.  He does great.  I like it.

Len tells Kyle that Toostie rolls are one of his favorites. Then he went on to say, "I am not a lover of the boogaloo dancing, but I loved it!"  He got some ribbing for the "boogaloo" term.  Bruno said it was truly explosive entertainment and that he loved every minute  Carrie Ann exclaimed that he killed it! "I dub you the fresh prince of DWTS!"

Scores:
Carrie Ann:  10
Len: 9
Bruno: 10
Total: 29/56

Bristol and Mark's freestyle is from the Broadway musical, "Chicago."  Which Bristol has never even heard of.  Not even the movie.  The song is "He Had It Comin'."  It started with her in a cage(jail cell) and she was dancing in there.  When it started, I thought well this could be good.  But as the dance progressed I didn't care for it.  Not sure if it was the choreography or her comfort level...maybe it was both.  It ended with her putting Mark in the jail.  Bruno gave her credit for aiming so high. He pointed out it was difficult piece to work with and that it has to be expressed in the face through body. He said it was not quite the level this song requires  but that it was a good attempt.  First Carrie Ann shrieked, "Did I just see Bristol Palin dance in a cage!?"  Then she went on to say that she agreed with Bruno, and that she was proud of her for dancing in the cage! Len said that he just looked at this as a performance and there was no disaster. Fantastic.

Scores:
Carrie Ann:  8
Len: 9
Bruno: 8
24/52

Jennifer and Derek's freestyle...what can I say?  Derek is a showman.  He likes to make his freestyles wow the crowd!  However, Jennifer has neck injuries, knee injuries.  She looks damn good for her age but her body insists that she is indeed 50.  He works her into the routine and slowly brings out the stunts.  When the dance starts she is in a frumpy frock and holding a watermelon.  I laughed.  How cute.  The song was (I think) "Do You Love Me?" Kristin cracked me up when she said, "Why is she holding a watermelon?"  I explained the connection and then she wanted to know if she could watch the movie.  I told her no and that I was 17 when I saw it.   *ahem*  Back to their freestyle....the watermelon was ditched an so was the frock to reveal a glittery pink number.  And then the fun began with Derek taking a flying leap straight over her head.  And it never stopped.  It was fantastic. Carrie Ann simply said it was AMAZING! Len told her she has been consistent, persistent, "You're like an irresistible force going down the freeway for the mirror ball trophy! Fantastic."  Bruno gushed about her dancing two dances at the complete and total opposite ends of the spectrum.  And that both were equally brilliant.

Scores:
Carrie Ann: 10
Len: 10
Bruno: 10
Total: 30/60



The finale is still competitive.  Though the viewers do not have a say in the last two dances, their votes are accounted for in the judges rankings.  They each get to choose their favorite dance to encore and then they have to dance another "Instant Dance."  This time it is the Cha-Cha. And they all will take a turn for about 30 to 40 seconds to dance it.  

Kyle and Lacey chose their Tango.  This was Kyle's break out dance.  And this time he is much more polished. During the instant dance he and Lacey were first and they did great. Bristol and Mark choose her break out dance, which is  The Tango as well.  She has grown.  Her dances are always clean, and she has certainly improved.  The Cha-Cha showed me a side of her I hadn't seen the whole season.  She was having fun.  And it made it fun to watch her.  Jennifer and Derek made their last dance the Viennese Waltz.  It was their first and it is fitting for it to be their last.  It was beautifully danced.  Perhaps even more so than the first time.  They are fun and sassy in their Cha-Cha.  And now for the judges rankings.  First score is the encore dance, and the second is the cha-cha.

Kyle and Lacey
Carrie Ann: 9/9
Len: 8/9
Bruno: 9/10
Total 26/28

Bristol and Mark

Carrie Ann: 8/9
Len: 9/9
Bruno: 8/9
Total: 25/27

Jennifer and Derek

Carrie Ann:  10/9
Len: 10/9
Bruno: 10/10
Total: 30/28

And the winner is....

3rd place............  Bristol and Mark

2nd Place............  Kyle and Lacey

1st Place........Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough

Photos from ABC